Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS July 17, 2014 Volume 47, Number 20 - $1.00
Fair Queen
Model Planes
At the Band Shell
The 2014 Ogle county Fair Queen will be selected during the July 19 pageant. A7
Remote control airplanes were soaring high July 12-13. B1
Gaelic Fury performs July 18. The Kable Concert Band takes the stage July 23.
Insurance bids questioned by
board members By Vinde Wells Editor Before choosing an employee health insurance provider Tuesday night, several Ogle County Board members raised questions over how the bidding process was conducted. Dick Petrizzo, Davis Junction, questioned board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, about why one insurance provider, the Crum Halsted Agency, was allowed to submit a second bid, lowering its first estimated cost, after the bids had been opened. “I think it’s inappropriate that you went and gathered information from only one of the bidders,� Petrizzo said. He also questioned why the Query Agency, the current provider, was not notified as well to submit a second bid. Gouker said he sought the second bid from Crum Halsted because, initially, they had only nine months of insurance claim data to base their bid on, while Query had 11 months. He said the additional data became available for Crum Halsted only after the bids had been opened. Claims were high during the first six months of the insurance year, which begins
Aug. 1, Gouker said, but went down after that. Having the additional information meant Crum Halsted could lower its bid, he said. “Then what was the point of having them bid?� asked Lyle Hopkins, Polo. “I would think you would want us to have the most competitive premium we can,� Gouker said. The Crum Halsted Agency presented costs for the Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG), a self-funded insurance program sponsored by the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI). Query offers county employees self-funded insurance through the Group Administrators program. IPMG was recommended to the county board by the Finance, Revenue & Insurance Committee, which heard presentations from four insurance providers. Committee member Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, said two other bidders, NFP Benefits and A. J. Gallagher Benefit Services, were ruled out early because their bids were much higher than either Crum Halsted’s or Query’s. Pat Saunders, Polo, said Turn to A7
Referendum to keep ambulance is being discussed By Vinde Wells Editor Oregon Fire Protection District officials said last week that passing a referendum is likely the only way for the community to establish and maintain its own ambulance service. The fire district board discussed a referendum at its monthly meeting July 9 and answered questions from the handful of district residents who attended. “If the referendum doesn’t pass, I don’t know what we do,� said Elburn attorney Brian O’Connor, who represents the fire board. “Without the referendum, we won’t have an ambulance service in town,� said Fire Chief Don Heller. Oregon has been without its own ambulance service for a month, ever since the Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, closed its doors June 17. Betty Ferris, who comanaged the service with her husband Jim, said their reasons for closing were financial. She notified the fire board June 11 that the
ambulance service was shutting down. For the first two weeks, ambulance calls in the fire district were answered by neighboring fire districts, all of which have their own tax-supported ambulance services. Since July 1 an ambulance and crew from ATS Medical Services, Loves Park, has been based at the Oregon Fire Station and is responding to calls from there. The fire board approved a 10-month contract with ATS at the July 9 meeting. Heller told the audience that dwindling payments from Medicare and Medicaid, as well as patients who do not pay at all, were major factors in the Ferris’ decision to close the ambulance service. “The Oregon Ambulance Service did a fantastic job for 40 years,� he said. “I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.� “Without the bills being paid, we can’t run the service,� said Jim Ferris at the meeting. He said that when the doors
Game Time Youngsters attending Vacation Bible School play a game with their leaders Friday during recreation time. VBS, was sponsored by the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren, Disciples United Methodist Church, and Trinity Lutheran Church and held July 7-11 at Trinity. Photo by Vinde Wells
Weather looks good for Trail Days By Vinde Wells Editor Weather may be the factor that ensures the final Oregon Trail Days festival goes out with a flair this weekend. With predicted temperatures in the low 80s and only a slight chance of rain Sunday, it could be the best conditions the festival has enjoyed in its five-year history. “The weather looks like it’s going to be just perfect,� said festival organizer Beth Henderson Tuesday. “It’s always been unbearably hot.� For previous festivals, the temperatures have edged
food. A new American Indian dance group will perform this year, Henderson said. Ronald Preston, a member of the San Carlos Apache nation, will perform dances and explain the tradition behind them. “The pioneer area is also greatly expanded,� Henderson said. “And we’re going to have real painted ponies for the first time. They will be painted just like the Indians used to paint them.� “We have lots of kids activities,� she said. “We have face pairing this year and kids can do landscape paintings of the tipis.�
Other activities especially geared for kids and their families include pony rides, a pedal train, voyager canoe rides, as well as a variety of arts, crafts, and games. Sunday activities get off to a tasty start with a hearty breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at NIU’s Lorado Taft Field Campus located at Lowden State Park. “We’ve already got well over 200 reservations for the Taft breakfast,� Henderson said. For more information and a complete schedule of festival activities go to www. oregontraildays. org.
Movie scene was filmed in Oregon By Chris Johnson Reporter
A small group of dedicated filmmakers descended on Oregon Sunday morning to gather footage for a new short film. Jay’s Drive-In was the setting of a scene for film “Broiled.� Actor Andrew Klass has a role in the film. “I am playing the character Tank,� he said. “He is sort of a loser that does not know he is a loser. He thinks he is a lot smarter than he actually is.� The motivation for Tank is simple and was easy for Klass to grasp. “He honestly thinks the key to happiness in his life is getting a used truck,� Klass said. “That is his motivation throughout the movie.� Klass said working on the film has been fun because of who he is working with. “Everyone here is committed 100 percent,� he said. “Everyone has their heart in it. The days are long Turn to A8 and exhausting but it is like totally worth it.�
In This Week’s Edition...
toward the century mark with uncomfortably high humidity. The festival, which celebrates the area’s Native American and western heritage, will be held Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 at Lowden State Park on River Road just outside Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Organized in 2010 to help raise funds for the restoration of the Black Hawk statue, which sits atop a high bluff at the park, the festival features tipis, Native American dances, a pioneer village, western demonstrations, vendor booths, and plenty of
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A3
When filming is complete, Klass will have to wait to see the finished project. “I am not behind the camera, but it is going to be awesome to see it come together,� he said. Klass became involved in the project because he has knew Megan St. John, the writer/director for the film and executive producer of Third Wheel Entertainment, Chicago. “Megan approached me about being a part of it,� he said. The movie is set in rural America, the plot is the story of two girls and two boys who coincidentally rob the town bank on the same day. “The story is interesting and it is different,� said St. John. “It is dark and twisted and funny.� Using a drive-in in a rural location was a natural fit for her since she grew up in Montana. “Whenever I write, I set it in a rural kind of environment. It is very American,� she said. “I would love to come back and film something
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Director Megan St. John and camera operator Trevor Kelly examine test footage to determine if the scene is staged and ready for action. Photo by Chris Johnson
else. I love this kind of rural environment.� The weather over the weekend proved difficult for St. John and her crew. “We are trying to get into Sundance,� she said. “The deadline is September, but with the weather there have been a couple hiccups . We may not make it this year. It is totally okay, because there is a list a mile long of festivals.� The crew was filming at a farm in Malta on July 12 and rain caused delays in filming.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A9 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A2
While at Jay’s the weather shifted from overcast to full sun. The crew just finished setting up the shot when the weather changed. This is difficult for the filmmakers because having consistent lighting throughout the process helps with editing different clips together. When completed, St. John said the film will be playing in festivals. “We may look at distribution Turn to A2
Deaths, B2 Marilyn Butler, Gerald Gorski, Joanne E. Hutmacher, Delbert L. Rademaker
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